Sunday, 8 March 2009

Job seekers, beware of scams

In your quest to find a job, don't become so desperate that you let crooks take advantage of your misfortune.

Many scammers are "really preying on people when people can least afford it," said Jeannette Kopko, spokeswoman for the Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan Dallas Inc.

The scams come in various flavors.

One involves sending e-mails in which the scammers claim to have seen your résumé on the Internet, say that your skills match the requirements for a job and invite you to complete an online application.

Then they ask for sensitive personal data, such as your driver's license and Social Security numbers, to supposedly verify identity.

The thieves also may claim to need bank account or credit card numbers to run a credit check to complete the application process.

BBB officials say these are not legitimate requests and can be used to commit identity theft.

Another type of scam involves the lure of a job with the federal government.

"They advertise that they can help you get a job with the post office or as a forest ranger, or whatever," Kopko said. "They ask for money upfront, and either you get nothing or you get some information you don't need to pay for, such as test study materials or a job application."

You never have to pay for information about job vacancies or employment opportunities with the U.S. government or U.S. Postal Service.